Miraflores locks

Into the canal. dark but warm. Nothing unexpected but good theatre, and the huge commercial ports probably better at night all lit up. 2 locks, a short stretch and then 1 more lock brings you up to level of Gatun Lake. the mules (mini electric train engines) don't pull you through the lock but do guide the ship and keep it away from lock walls.

the biggest ships go through the new locks, a few hundred yards away. These Panamax ships are huge, can carry 15000 containers and pay as much as $1.5 million to go through.

smallest ever fee was 36 cents for Steve Haliburton who swam the canal.Read more